Folding or collapsable box.



No. 628,760. Patented July ll, I899. J. H. CHENOWETH. FOLDING 0RBOLLAPSIBLE BOX.

(Application fllod Dec. 16, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Shewt I.

(No Modal.)

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No. 628,760. Patentad luly n, I899. .1. H. CHENOWETH.

FOLDING 0R COLLAPSIBLE BOX;

(Application filed D80. 16, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shut 2.

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lUNl-TED @TATES PATENT Urrrcn.

JOHN H. GHENO\VETH, OF TERRF. HAUTE, INDIANA.

FOLDING OR COLLAPSIBLE BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,760, dated July 11, 1899.

Application filed December 16,1897. Serial No. 662,163. No model.)

To ctZZ whom if; near/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. CHENOWETH, a citizen of the Unit-ed States,residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo, State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding or CollapsibleBoxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in folding or collapsible boxes,and the novelty of the same consists in the particular construction andcombination of the parts hereinafter fully described and particularlyset forth in the claims; and the object of my improvement is to providea perfect folding or collapsible box which may be used for an eggcrateor any other shipping purpose where a box is employed. As the nameimplies, I wish to provide a box which whenadjusted for use presents astructure as strong and substantial as any ordinary box can be made bymeans of nails and screws and when not in use may be folded up in asmall space for storage or re turn transportation to the shipper. Iattain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of my folding orcollapsible box. Fig. 2 represents the lids unfastened ready to adjustfor folding or for use. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the transversepartition and the movement of the box when collapsing relative to thecatch which looks the box in its folded condition. Fig. 1 represents thebox as it is when collapsed.

The box is composed of the two side boards D and C, the lids A and A,and the ends B and F. The ends B and F are joined to the side boards Dand O by means of the straphinges H and H, two pair of which, H, are inopposite inside corners, as shown in Fig. 2, and two pair, H, onopposite outside corners, as shown in Fig. 1. By this arrangement of thehinges the box is enabled to collapse. A and A, representing the lids tothe box, either one of which may be called the top or, adversely, thebottom, are joined to the sides D and G by the strap-hinges H, as shownin Fig. 2. These lids are as wide as the box itself, but are as muchshorter than the box as the end boards B and F are in thickness. The endboards B and F are as much longer than the side boards are in width asthe lids are in thickness, including the cleats on said lids. By thismanner of construction when the top or bottom lids, one or both, areclosed they drop inside of the projection of the and boards 13 and F andform a perfect lock, which makes the box as strong as if nailed orscrewed together. The projections of the end boards 13 and F in additionto forming the aforesaid lock add strength to the box where it is mostlikely to be affected in shippingat the ends. When the box is adjustedfor use, as shown in perspective, Fig. 1, the lids A and A are fastenedto the sides 0 and D, respectively, by means of the eye-straps S,attached to the lids A and A, and the staple E in the side boards 0 andD together with the spiral rings N. When these lids are fastened by thismeans, as shown in Fig. 1, the lock is sustained and the lids, sides,and ends are at right angles and cannot be displaced on account of thelook. When I Wish to collapse the box, the lids A and A are folded back.over the sides D and C, respectively, following the dotted line T, asshown in Fig. 2. The lids are fastened to-the aforesaid sides by meansof the eye-straps, staples, and spiral rings similar to the fastening ofthe lids when the box is adjusted for use.

K represents a hooked catch fastened to the end B and lies on the insideof the box, next to the side board D, at right angles with the end B, asshown in Fig. 3. When the box is collapsed, the side board 0 folds downover the end board B, and the catch K follows the dotted line W andpasses through the opening 0 and automatically hooks over the springwireR and locks the box in its folded condi* tion, as it is seen in Fig. 4.

A central transverse portable partition is employed, which is fastenedto the side 0 and D by two pair of straphinges, one pair on one side ofthe partition and one on the other, as shown in Fig. 3. In one pair ofthe hinges the straps extend the entire width of the partiti0n,whichprotects said partition from splitting. When the box is folded, thepartition, by reason of the arrangement of the hinges, lies snugly inbetween the sides of the box, as shown in Fig. 4..

The lugs M and M are small lnalleableprojections frommthe end board F intwo corners of the box. These are to be used in eg -crates only whenthere is no partition used. I hen the egg-crate is collapsed, theegg-fillers may be placed between the sides of the crate, and

these malleable projections will prevent the folded fillers from workingout. YVhen the partition is used, the fillers may be packed between thelids and the sides.

In the descriptive part of my specification I have used drawings of andhave made reference to a regular thirty-six-dozen egg-crate but I do notdesire to be confined to egg-crates alone. My invention includes allkinds of folding boxes, chicken-coops, &c., where the construction andcombination of the parts are within the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I' claim as new, anddesireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a folding or collapsible box the combination of the tWo sideboards 0 and D the end boards B and F joined at their adjacent edges bythe outside strap-hinges H and the inside strap-hinges H; the spring-rodR fastened at one end by the staple P passing through the loop L; andthe opening 0 togethor with the lids A and A joined to the side boards 0and D by the. strap-hinges H the eye-strap S the stapleE and the spiralring N and the catch K, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a folding or collapsible box, the transverse portable partition Vthe hinges H and 1-1 the long straps J in combination with the boxcomposed of the sides 0 and D the ends 13 and F joined at their adjacentedges by the hinges H and H; the lids A and A joined to the sides I) andC by the strap-hinges H and fastened to the sides (3 and D respectivelyby the eye-straps S the staples E and the spiral rings N; the catch Kthe opening 0 and the spring-rod R, substantially as shown anddescribed. v I

3. A folding or collapsible box comprising the sides 0 and D and theends B and F joined at their contiguous edges by the strap-hinges H andH, the staples E, the catch K, the opening 0, the spring-rod R, the lugs31 and M; in combination with the hinged lidsA and A provided with theeye-straps S and spiral rings N, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN H. CHENOWETH. lVitnesses:

W. L. WILLEY,

DICK llflILLER.

